Manchester Food and Drink Festival will celebrate its 25th year in the city this September with a special roster of events, bringing together some of Manchester’s top chefs as it marks a quarter of a century in the city.
From a host of live fire pit feasts to a dedicated wine and fizz festival at NOMA, there are some exciting events on the horizon for this year’s festival, which will take place this September.
Today, the festival has announced its first wave of events as it prepares to bring its free-to-attend Festival Hub back to Cathedral Gardens.
Image: Supplied
Open from midday to 11.00pm across 15t–18 and 21–25 September, the Festival Hub will become home to an array of street food traders, bars, and artisan producers, as well as various masterclasses and takeovers.
As ever, the festival will bring together some of Manchester’s top eateries with appearances already confirmed from the likes of Michelin-trained Caroline Martins (The Sao Paulo Project), Northern Quarter favourite District, Tast, Mi and Pho, Fazenda, DGHNT and more.
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Elsewhere, there will be an artisan market overflowing with local produce, and a wide selection of local street food traders showcasing the best that Manchester has to offer.
BBQ fire pit feasts
The first ever Festival Fire Pit Takeover will be coming to the Hub for both long weekends.
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Sponsored by Weber, one of the world’s leading barbecue specialists, the Festival Fire Pit will invite some of the region’s best loved chefs to cook over fire for a first time festival feast.
Caroline Martins, founder of the Sao Paolo project, Robert Owen Brown and Francisco Martinez from Fazenda will all be bringing their own specialist BBQ flavours to the fire pit as part of Weber’s takeover.
The Festival Hub at Cathedral Garden will host the Octopus Cookbook Confidential demo kitchen on Saturday 24th September in collaboration with Octopus Books.
Top chefs and industry experts will be coming together to share their tips, ideas and knowledge in cookery demos, conversations and debate discussions. A full day of foodie demos and panels will include:
● Kate Humble & Lia Leendertz: The joy of the outdoors – Eating & Cooking with the Seasons
● Edd Kimber: Pudding Love! – discussing our love of puddings from childhood to becoming professionals and everything in between
● Pip Payne & Nicky Corbishley: Tips, ideas and hacks for putting dinner on the table every night without breaking the bank
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● Joe Woodhouse, Josh Katz & David Bez: From the swede to the courgette – why we should all be eating more veg and all the veggie inspiration you could hope for
● Jeremy Pang: School of Wok Chinese Cooking Demo
● Rahul Mandal: The Baking Surgery
● Jaega Wise vs Joel Harrison in conversation with Neil Ridley: Beer vs Cocktails
Some of Manchester’s best-loved chefs will also be joining the Festival Hub to lead cooking masterclasses on the opening weekend of the Festival – a detailed programme will be announced soon!
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Image: MFDF
Artisan food market
The much-anticipated Artisan Food Market will take place across the duration of the Festival, opening 15–18 and 22–25 September from midday to 7pm.
This free-to-attend market will showcase some of Manchester’s best food and drink producers, including New Market Dairy, The Flat Baker and DGHNT.
Beyond the Festival Hub
Away from the festival hub, an array of activities will be taking place across Manchester city centre.
MFDF will be the first event to take place at the iconic New Century in Manchester’s NOMA district to bring the Wine and Fizz Festival to town.
Opening in September, the Wine and Fizz Festival will be the first event to take place in the newly-restored space, giving wine lovers the chance to visit retailers like Cork of the North, Grape to Grain and UKiYO Republic (showcasing their wonderful range of Japanese sake). Tickets are available to buy here.
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Image: MFDF
Across the city for the duration of the festival, MFDF is also curating a lineup of fantastic restaurants to take part in their £25 for 25 years menu collaboration.
Northern Quarter favourite District will be creating an exclusive £25 drinks pairing menu to compliment their amazing Thai cuisine and celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival.
Embankment Kitchen is also creating an exclusive £25 menu to give diners a taste of the best of their offering at a reduced price.
Other restaurants taking part include Mi and Pho with a Vietnamese take on the exclusive menu offer, as well as Three Little Words, Shoryu Ramen, Tast and Society, with many more to be announced over the coming weeks.
Feature image – MFDF
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New record-breaking £8.72m ride opens at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Emily Sergeant
The day has finally arrived… the UK’s tallest ride is now open to the public.
After first being announced back in May 2025, thrill-seekers have been hotly anticipating the arrival of Blackpool Pleasure Beach‘s newest ride, Aviktas, for the past year – and now, the time has come, as passengers have travelled from across the country to be among the first to experience the adrenaline-pumping spectacle.
Not for the faint of heart, Aviktas launches its riders 138 feet into the air while reaching angles of up to 120 degrees.
Now officially open at the iconic Lancashire seaside theme park, Aviktas has became the largest ride of its kind in the UK – almost doubling the size of the previous tallest, Maelstrom at Drayton Manor.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s newest £8.72m ride is now open / Credit: Supplied
The jaw-dropping new ride features a unique design that’s been engineered to ‘maximise thrills’.
According to its creators, Aviktas’ restraints create a sense of freedom leaving its riders feeling weightless as they soar towards its 138 foot peak.
Pleasure Beach has invested £8.72m into the attraction, marking it as its biggest single investment in eight years.
Aviktas is now the tallest rollercoaster of its kind in the UK / Credit: Supplied
“Pleasure Beach has always had a reputation for going big and pushing boundaries, and Aviktas is no exception,” commented Amanda Thompson OBE, who is the CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort.
“Its sheer size and presence speaks for itself, there is simply nothing like it in the UK. We wanted to build something that sets us apart from anywhere else and gives our guests a genuine must-visit reason to come to the park.
“This project is another reminder of our commitment to making Pleasure Beach one of the world’s greatest theme parks.”
Aviktas is now open at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
Featured Image – Supplied
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The Man City Parade 2025/26 – route, timings, ‘The After Party’, performers and more
Danny Jones
After Man City became just the second team in English football history to win a domestic cup double, the Blues will once again be taking over Manchester city centre for a parade to mark the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
They may not have won the league this time, but it’s still another pair of trophies to add to the cabinet.
More importantly, with club legends Bernardo Silva, John Stones, and perhaps even Pep Guardiola (we’ll have to wait and see) leaving after a decade at the club this summer, ‘Cityzens’ will be coming from all over Greater Manchester to honour yet another memorable silverware-laden term.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of everything important you need to know ahead of the blue half of Manchester’s post-season celebrations.
Man City parade 25/26 – all the key info
When does it start and end?
For starters, for those wondering what the start time is for the latest City parade, this year’s event will be building up from around 4pm and finishing at approximately 6:30pm this coming bank holiday Monday, 25 June.
The last parade was ‘Fourmidable’.Credit: Press shot (supplied)/The Manc
Man City parade route for 2026
As for where the jubilation will be running from and to this time, they’re moving over to the Northern Quarter before the parade procession itself passes through Ancoats and towards their home stadium.
The open-top buses themselves will set off around 5pm, heading towards the Etihad Campus from Ashton New Road, before arriving at the Colin Bell Stand reception.
For those unable to journey elsewhere/just looking to enjoy from one spot, supporters will also be able to watch the full build-up and parade in its entirety on the big screens outside the ground from 4pm onwards, with an accessible viewing area and subtitles available, too.
Accessibility options
Great Ancoats Street (near the start of the parade route)
A designated area for wheelchair users and ambulant disabled supporters and companions.
Street-level area is free, with access on a first-come, first-served basis; stewards on hand to help.
Colin Bell Stand
Elevated platform available for wheelchair users and ambulant disabled supporters who would struggle to stand in the crowd.
Again, first-come, first-served.
Travel advice and parking info
Parking at the Etihad Stadium itself is only available for those with a ticket for the official ‘After Party’ event; however, there are free spots available at park and ride sites such as Ashton Moss, Ashton West, and Ladywell. You can find a full list of locations HERE.
Fans are encouraged to use public transport where possible, with Bee Network buses and trams running throughout the city and towards East Manchester.
Check out the Etihad’s dedicated travel and transport page for more guidance, and/or watch our guide on how to get to the Co-op Live down below.
Speaking of carrying on after the main event, ‘The After Party’ at Co-op Live and the surrounding area is also an option for Blues looking to have a ball – pun intended.
Besides the parade, the fun will also be getting underway at the same time over in the massive industry-leading arena next door to City’s home ground, doors opening from as early as 3pm.
Final entry into the venue itself is set at 5pm, with players set to head over and join in with the drinks, jubilation and big energy tunes once the parade finishes around 6:30pm.
On the subject of music, fans are also being treated to a live performance from none other than the much-loved Manc band, Doves, who will be playing a special in-person set, due to wrap up at 8pm.
Indie rock favourites Doves will be amongst the outstanding performers on a night to remember! 🎶
Join us at ‘The After Party’ on Monday 25 May at Co-op Live. 🙌
You can find all the details regarding general admission tickets, as well as VIP and hospitality packages, right HERE.
What else is on around the City parade?
For those looking to take in any extra festivities or even just some food and drink during the few hours you’ll be out singing ‘Blue Moon’, you’ll be glad to hear that a number of local institutions will also be getting involved.
As well as Northern Quarter favourites BAB offering their £10 lunch deal (12-3pm every day), happy hour deals, AND a small plates offer (Monday-Thursday, 4-7pm; Fridays from 4pm until close), fellow NQ neighbours, The Pen and Pencil, are also opening for the day to help host any crowd overspill.
Perhaps most notably, however, an official Man City pop-up will be opening in the city centre in the days leading up to the parade itself – so, for anyone who can’t make it on the bank holiday Monday, you can still spend at least part of your long weekend drinking in the splendour.
If you’re wondering what exactly this is going to be like, look no further…
Moreover, MCFC’s under-18s squad won a historic FA Youth Cup with their Manchester derby win earlier this month, too, making it multiple landmark results across the board.
With that in mind, this year’s Man City trophy parade and After Party looks set to be a more all-encompassing one than ever.
Judging by the scenes for the likes of the last Treble, you won’t want to miss it.
Georgina Pellant -
22nd July 2022 
